Three Cheers for 30 Years

What once was a dreaded age is now celebrated. If I am completely honest, I have welcomed the change. I have this philosophy that I am sure other share which is that your 20's are filled with hardships that make you learn how to be an adult. In your 30's, you've already been through a ton of bullshit and are equipped to handle most of life's challenges.

Turning 30 can be weird, however. I don't have that white picket fence life with two kids, a dog, and an amazing husband, with our SUV's filled with car seats that I always thought I would. Instead, I chose a more unconventional path and I don't regret it whatsoever. I have vastly different life experiences than many and a part of me still has to reckon with that.

Now that I am old and wise, I just wanted to take the time to write down a few things that I have learned in these glorious 30 years and maybe they will resonate a little with you, too!

Don't make excuses. Don't make them for yourself or to yourself. Own your shit. Don't make excuses at work. The more honest you are, the better. Furthermore, don't make excuses for other people.

Wake up early. Waking up at 5AM blows but it means you will have plenty of time to read, workout, meditate, shower, do whatever you have to do before you go to work. The most successful people wake up early so you should too. Also, it means you have a legit excuse to go to bed early which always rules.

It's okay not to have 1000 friends. Having a shit ton of "friends" is overrated. You'll find those core group of friends that you can go to for anything and it will be so special. But also remember that everything has a season so it's okay if your group of friends is rotating.

People will show you who they truly are. Trust your gut on this. Get out as soon as you start seeing red flags. But on the reverse, if someone is showing you that they care about you, they probably really do so don't push them away.

Be vulnerable. For the first maybe 28 years of my life, I was terrified to show vulnerability. After worshiping at the alter of the vulnerability queen herself, Brene Brown, I realized it's okay to be vulnerable. This kind of goes back to the "don't make excuses" point but I learned that it's so much easier to just tell exactly how you are feeling. If the outcome isn't what you ultimately wanted, it's okay because at least you said exactly what you wanted to say.

Self care is important. Taking time for yourself to just be still makes a world of difference. This is one of the reasons why I wake up so early. Doing things for ME helps me regroup and focus. I have a stressful job and am already a high anxiety person so taking time out to do things for myself really helps a lot. Even if it's just one of my daily "stress walks" at work. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else. Think of it as the whole airplane safety instructions thing - you put on your breathing mask before helping someone else put on theirs.

If you want to go somewhere, damnit just go. This is something I still struggle with but I've learned that if i want to go somewhere, be it a concert, a vacation or just to Target, I need to go. Even if that means going alone, if I want to go, I need to go. I have a hard time letting myself take vacations and the thought of going alone is extremely depressing to me but if I want to go on a trip and I have the money, I need to just do it. Life's too short and I am already 30 years in. Times a' wastin'!

In honor of NC Beer Month, I couldn't think of any better way to celebrate than participate in the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's Hometown Hops Passport program! Home to five distinguished breweries, Cumberland County is ready to welcome brewery enthusiasts to America’s Hometown with a perfect pour of a memorable craft brew.

Before relocating back to the Triangle, I honestly had no idea what Seaboard Station was. Thanks to my lunchtime workout sat O2, I've been able to get to know the adorable area a little better. One location that I had on my "to visit" list was 18 Seaboard. When I heard that they launched their new bar menu, I jumped at the chance to go check it out.

When I heard that Kendra Scott was releasing a candle line, I was SO stoked! Candles and Kendra Scott are my two favorite things! Luckily, I was invited to their launch party to check out all of the wonderfully yummy scents.

Everyone's go-to energy drink/cocktail mixer, Red Bull has been giving us wings for years now. However, the brand is deciding to go a little more "green" with the release of their newest product line, ORGANICS by Red Bull.

On my never-ending quest to find the latest and greatest in wellness modalities, Cryotherapy kept popping up. I have always hated the idea of ice baths as a recovery tool after an intense workout because subjecting myself to cold for an extended version of time seems like a nightmare. Give me a steam room or a sauna any day! Better yet, give me 115 degree desert days in Palm Springs! Even better! However, when my amazing, life-changing chiropractor Dr. Prakash at Living Well Balanced suggested I try out their cryo chamber, I had to do it.

Being an actual pasta addict, I like to find healthier alternatives to just your general, run of the mill noodles. Explore Cuisine has become a lifesaver on this endeavor as they have an entire line of bean pasta. Hello, extra protein and nutrients! Free of artificial colors, Explore Cuisine integrates beans, peas, lentils, and rice to provide you with nourishing meals which are easy, quick, colorful, and simply delicious! All Explore Cuisine products are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO and jam-packed with nutrients.

I have a not-so-secret, neverending journey to discover the latest and greatest healing modalities. This journey has lead to try some pretty far out there experiences but the most recent was easily one of my favorites thus far.

It's no secret that I have my own struggles with mental health. Over the years, I've figured out a lot of little tips and tricks that make getting through the work day a little bit easier when I am crawling out of my skin with anxiety.